382 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May  1,  1902. 
sufficient  room  is  allowed,  and  thin  sowing  is  practised,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  prick  off  the  plants,  but  they  may  be  drawn 
as  required,  and  as  trenches  can  be  got  ready  for  them.  In  this 
way  one  check  is  saved,  and  checks  of  any  kind  are  not  conducive 
to  the  well-being  of  Celery,  scarcely  anything  shows  the  after 
effects  more. 
In  growing  Celery  for  exhibition  the  single  row  system  is  by 
far  the  best,  but  for  ordinary  use  the  plan  of  having  a  double 
row  in  one  trench  has  proved  very  serviceable.  Four  feet  from 
centre  to  centre  of  each  trench  I  have  found  to  give  ample 
room  for  the  small  growing  varieties,  giving  an  additional  space 
of  a  foot  for  the  larger  kinds;  the  plants  are  usually  allowed  to 
stand  9in  or  lOin  apart  in  the  rows.  Showei-j^  weather  should,  as 
far  as  possible,  be  chosen  when  planting  out,  or  the  work  is  best 
done  towai'ds  evening  in  a.  dry  time.  The  trenches  should  be 
well  soaked  before  planting  in  this  case,  make  the  plants  finn, 
and  give  a  good  watering  when  the  operation  is  completed. 
Water  must  be  supplied  unstintingly  in  hot,  dry  periods,  if 
crisp.  te«der  “sticks”  are  tO'  be  produced.  Some  growers 
recommend  the  use  of  manure  water,  but  beware  of  strong  doses, 
as  this  is  a  prolific  cause  of  hollow,  pithy  steins.  Liquid  manure 
may  be  a  great  help  in  the  case  of  backward  and  weakly  plants, 
but  plenty  of  clear  water,  with  an  occasional  dusting  of  soot  is 
all  I  have  found  necessary.  On  no  account  use  nitrate  of  soda 
if  the  crop  has  to  stand  through  the  winter  to  be  used  late. 
I  am  not  an  advocate  for  very  deep  trenches,  in  fact^  fine 
Celery  can  be,  and  is,  gron  n  without  the  use  of  these.  Where 
a  heavy  clay  soil  in ’a  wet  situation  ha.s  to  be  dealt  with,  it  is 
by  far*  the  best  plan  to  plant  on  the  surface.  But  on  light, 
sandy  ground  the  trench  is  a  boon  ;  the  roots  are  placed  in  a 
cooler  and  moister  medium,  and  water  is  more  readily  and 
efficiently  supplied.  Earthing  should  be  commenced  six  weeks 
before  the  Celery  is  required  for  table.  Much  discussion  has 
taken  place  as  to  the  merits  of  doing  this  all  at  one  time  or  in 
driblets.  It  may  be  well  to  point  out  that  when  the  bulk  of 
the  earth  is  at  once  piled  up  to  the  stems,  there  is  a  tendency 
for  these  to  be  split  and  misshapen  at  the  lower  part.  This  I 
find  is  avoided  in  a  great  measure  if  the  work  is  taken  in  hand 
in  good  time,  and  the  best  plan  is  to  earth  up  at  two  or  three 
times.  Whilst  this  is  done  the  plants  ought,  to  be  held  firmly 
together  by  hand  or  should  be  first  tied,  neither  tightly  nor  too 
high  up,  otherwise  the  centres  will  be  crippled.  Nor  is  it  at 
air  needed  that  there  should  be  any  thumping  or  treading  of 
the  soil,  such  as  one  sometimes  sees.  Suckers  and  any  broken 
or  decaying  leaves  should  be  taken  out,  and  to  finish  the  ridges 
these  ought  to  be  beaten  smooth  with  the  back  of  a  spade,  so 
that  rain  may  be  thrown  off.  Varieties  are  numerou,s  enough 
if  we  may  judge  by  the  names  found  in  catalogues.  Besides,  the 
one  already  mentioned  I  have  found  Sandringham  White  excel¬ 
lent  as  an  early  kind.  If  a  larger  is  required,  Wright’s  Giant 
White  may  be  grown.  Sulhain  Prize  is  another  \yell  known  sort. 
For  quality  I  have  as  yet  found  none  to  beat  Major  Clark’s  Red- 
— John  Wkight,  Hopton  Hall,  Gardens. 
Groups  of  Geraniums,  white  Malvas,  and  other  plants. 
The  Value  of  Narrow  and  Sunny  Borders. 
In  the  early  spring  there  is-  always  a  feeling  both  among; 
owners  as  well  as  gardeners,  that  the  first  crop  of  any  kind  calls  ■ 
for  greater  value  and  appreciation,  and  these  narrow  borders 
lend  themselves  to  so  manj’'  varieties  of  garden  crops  during  the 
year  that  any  particular  fancy  can  be  met  therefrom.  From  a 
new  year  sowing  naturally  the  Radish  suggests  itself  as  being 
the  fiivst  crop  available,  which  it  is  ;  Lettuces,  Carrots,  Potatoes, 
Peas  and  Turnips  being  others  that  might  easily  be  macle  rotative. 
From  houses  kept  at  differing  temperatures  one  can  easily  define 
the  difference  in  the  advancement  of  the  crop  outside,  and  in 
nothing  is  this  more  marked  than  from  Potato  planting.  At  one  ¬ 
time  a  range  in  four  divisions  here,  each  kept  at  slightly  varying 
temperatures,  one  could  easily  gauge  the  difference  even  to  one 
set  in  the  rank  of  early  Potatoes  which  were  growing  outside. 
Radishes,  which  are  treated  as  a  customary  catch  crop,  prove  the 
same  truth  in  their  maturity,,  and  it  is  not  at  all  difficult,  even 
on  such  narrow  plots,  to-  go  to  the  extent  of  a  third  crop  all 
advancing  together.  Radishes  have  been  gathered  in  six  weeks  . 
from  the  time  of  sowing,  infinitely  of  better  appearance  than 
frame  grown  ones,  because  of  the  lesser  length  of  green  top. 
Potatoes  need  protection  at  night  when  frost  threatens,  other¬ 
wise  the  gain  is  not  so  much  over  the  more  open  border.  Fir  or 
Yew  branches  answer  this  purpose  exceedingly  well.  At  the 
present  time,  while  the  open  south  and  west  borders  occupied  by 
Potatoes  show  just  merely  the  lines,  those  under  forcing  houses 
are  from  Gin  to  9in  above  ground,  the  gain  at  digging  time  being 
in  like  proportion.  When  Potatoes  are  grown  in  frames  for  the 
earliest  batches,  there  is  much  relief  in  the  employment  of  a 
narrow  strip  under  a  sunny  wall  for  providing  a  succeeding  crop. 
The  same  remark  applies  also  to  Lettuces,  whether  as  an  autumn 
or  spring  sowing.  The  Commodore  or  Golden  Queen  types  of 
spring  Lettuce  are  very  quick  in  their  growth  and 
maturity  so  favoured,  and  sown  either  in  boxes  indoors 
to  be  afterwards  planted,  or  direct,  there 
is  a  much  greater  crispness  of  leaf  than  is  . 
possible  from  ordinary  autumn  sown  stock. 
The  same  warmth- may,  however,  be  placed 
«  to  useful  account  for  forwarding  the 
a.futumn  sowH.  stock,  and  with  average 
winters  full-hearted  heads  may  be  had  very 
early  in  the  year.  The  Paris  Market  's  an 
admirable  Lettuce  for  such  a  course,  as 
this  is  fairly  hardy,  tender  in  the  heart 
leaves,  and  of  larger  size  than  the 
others  named.  Strawberries,  Caulifiowers, 
and  French  Beans  are  other  garden  crops 
that  may  be  named  as  available  for  warm 
spots,  such  as  these  narrow  borders  provide 
to  advance  their  respective  crops,  and 
which  conveniently  fonn  the  connecting 
link  between  the  indoor  forced  and  outdoor 
stock.  The  necessity  of  utilising  such 
small  aids  to  progress  is  much  more  marked 
in  some  gardens  than  in  others.  With  out¬ 
side  tree  shelter  and  southern  slopes  there 
are  gardens  in  which  an  ordinai-y  border 
will  bring  on  its  crop  with  the  pace  of  a 
hothouse  Avail  in  another  Avhere  the  sur¬ 
roundings  are  of  less  faA’oured  environ¬ 
ment.  This  I  have  observed  in  many  in¬ 
stances,  and  noting  this  gives  the  stimulus 
to  the  utility  of  warm  spots  as  a  means  of 
comparative  adA'ancement.  These  narrow 
borders,  beside  being  con\mnient,  are 
quickly  and  easily  planted,  and  as  easily 
protected  from  night  frosts,  and  while  they 
serve  to  advance  the  spring  connections, 
they  can  be  turned  to  other  useful  accounts 
latter.  The  growth  of  Potatoes,  Peas, 
Lettuce,  and  Radishes  would  not,  for 
instance,  interfere  with  the  planting  of 
Tomatoes  for  a  later  summer  and  autumn 
crop,  and  thus  employment  may  be  found 
for  the  ground  for  a  good  portion  of  the 
year. — W.  S. 
